After a long held dream, for the first time in Nepal’s cricket history, a match will be played under floodlights, and parapet seating has been arranged for spectators.

Cricketers will play day-night matches under floodlights, while spectators will sit in proper seats to watch the game. As the second edition of the Siddhartha Bank Nepal Premier League (NPL) begins today, a new chapter in Nepali cricket will unfold.

Players, CAN officials, cricket supporters, and all Nepalis are ready to witness this moment. While the first edition of the NPL was played only during the day, in this edition 23 out of 32 will be played under the floodlights.

On Sunday, the floodlights and parapet were officially handed over to CAN. Now, the defending champions Janakpur Bolts will begin their title defense on Monday against Kathmandu Gorkhas under the floodlights.

Eight franchise teams will compete in this season’s NPL. Here’s a brief look at them:

Janakpur Bolts

Under coach Pubudu Dassanayake, Janakpur won the first season by defeating Sudurpaschim Royals in the final. Their only goal this season is to defend the title.

Janakpur has changed everything from the head coach to the logo for the second edition, but the ambition remains the same; to lift the NPL trophy again.

For the second edition, Janakpur has hired West Indies’ Shivnarine Chanderpaul as the head coach. The core squad from season one has been retained.

Nine players from the first season’s squad are still with the team, including Aasif Sheikh, captain Anil Kumar Shah, Lalit Rajbanshi, Kishore Mahato, Rupesh Singh, Shubham Khakurel, and Tul Bahadur Thapa.

However, New Zealand all-rounder Jimmy Neesham, who played a key role in their championship run last season, will not be part of the team this time.

Janakpur has released Sher Malla, Hemant Dhami, Araniko Yadav, and Aakash Tripathi, and signed Mayan Yadav, Sachin Bhatt, Bikash Aagri, and Aditya Mahato from the auction.

Foreign players include South Africans Wayne Parnell and Imran Tahir, Sri Lankans Lahiru Samarakoon and Sangeeth Cooray, Americans Lahiru Milantha and Sanjay Krishnamurthy, and Namibia’s Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton.

Janakpur Squad: Aasif Sheikh, Anil Kumar Shah, Lalit Rajbanshi, Kishore Mahato, Rupesh Singh, Shubham Khakurel, Tul Bahadur Thapa, Mayan Yadav, Sachin Bhatt, Bikash Aagri, Aditya Mahato, Lahiru Milantha, Wayne Parnell, Imran Tahir, Lahiru Samarakoon, Sanjay Krishnamurthy, Jan Nicol Loftie-Eaton, Sangeeth Cooray.

Sudurpaschim Royals

Sudurpaschim will play its second season under the guidance of Jagat Tamata, one of Nepal’s most successful domestic coaches. The team includes national players like Dipendra Singh Airee and Aarif Sheikh, along with experienced names Binod Bhandari, Abinash Bohora, and Ishan Pandey.

They have retained foreign players Scott Kuggeleijn and Harmit Singh from last season, and have signed Australian batters Chris Lynn and Josh Brown.

Sudurpaschim has signed only four foreign players so far, though teams can sign up to six. With these signings, their squad looks balanced.

Lynn will open the innings, supported by Binod  Bhandari and Ishan Pandey.
In the middle order are captain Dipendra Singh Airee, Aarif Sheikh, and Josh Brown, with Deepak Bohora and Milan Bohora as options.

In pace bowling, they have last season’s highest wicket-taker Scott Kuggeleijn, along with Abinash Bohora and Hemant Dhami. Talent-hunt recruit Hikmat Mahara is also in the squad.

Spin options include American Harmit Singh and Naren Saud, with captain Dipendra also contributing.

Sudurpaschim Squad: Dipendra Singh Airee, Binod Bhandari, Aarif Sheikh, Ishan Pandey, Abinash Bohora, Naren Saud, Hemant Dhami, Deepak Bohora, Milan Bohora, Dipendra Thapa, Tek Rawat, Hikmat Mahara, Chris Lynn, Josh Brown, Scott Kuggeleijn, Harmit Singh.

Karnali Yaks

Led by Nepal’s most experienced player, Sompal Kami, Karnali won four of their seven league matches last season.

They have retained their core group and continued with head coach Gyanendra Malla.

Retained players include Sompal Kami, Gulshan Jha, Nandan Yadav, Arjun Gharti, Bipin Sharma, Dipendra Rawat, and Yunish Bikram Thakuri.

Karnali has signed all-rounder Pawan Sarraf, spinner Yuvraj Khatri, and bowlers Deepak Dumre and Imran Sheikh from the auction.

Australian all-rounder William Bosisto has been retained after his good performance last season.

Karnali Squad: Sompal Kami, Gulshan Jha, Nandan Yadav, Arjun Gharti, Bipin Sharma, Dipendra Rawat, Yunish Thakuri, Pawan Sarraf, Yuvraj Khatri, Imran Sheikh, Deepak Dumre, William Bosisto, Mark Watt, Max O’Dowd, Najibullah Zadran, Priyank Panchal.

Chitwan Rhinos

Kushal Malla remains Chitwan’s marquee player. They retained six players from last season and continued with experienced overseas cricketers Ravi Bopara and Sohail Tanvir.

They strengthened their foreign lineup by signing England’s Dawid Malan and Saif Ali Zaib, the top performer for Sudurpaschim last season.

Chitwan also brought back Bipin Rawal and Ranjit Kumar from the auction. Medium pacer Kamal Singh Airee, who missed the first season due to injury, returns to the squad.

They have added five more foreign players, making the squad strong in all positions, particularly top order, middle order, and pace bowling.

However, they lack specialist spinners and rely mostly on part-timers.

Chitwan Squad: Kushal Malla, Kamal Singh Airee, Rijhan Dhakal, Deepak Bohora, Amar Singh Routela, Gautam KC, Dev Khanal, Arjun Saud, Bipin Acharya, Ranjit Kumar, Bipin Rawal, Ravi Bopara, Sohail Tanvir, Dawid Malan, Saif Ali Zaib, Alpesh Ramjani.

Kathmandu Gorkhas

Kathmandu retained six players including marquee player Karan KC. They added Mohammad Adil Alam Ansari and four others in the mini-auction.

They have signed six foreign players, including Namibia’s captain Gerhard Erasmus.

They strengthened their coaching staff by hiring India’s former Nepal head coach Monty Desai, who will be assisted by Basanta Shah Thakuri.

They have recruited English wicketkeeper John Simpson, South African wicketkeeper Ricardo Vasconcelos, and all-rounders Milind Kumar and Sunny Patel.

Erasmus, Milind Kumar, and Sunny Patel are spin all-rounders. Nepali spinners Shahab Alam and Dipesh Kandel will support them.

Karan KC and Rashid Khan are pace bowling all-rounders. Kathmandu has added Adil Alam from the auction to balance the pace department.

Kathmandu Squad: Karan KC, Bhim Sharki, Shahab Alam, Dipesh Kandel, Rashid Khan, Pratik Shrestha, Adil Alam, Uttam Magar, Aakash Tripathi, Tul Bahadur Thapa, Santosh Yadav, Sonu Devkota, Gerhard Erasmus, Milind Kumar, Ben Charlesworth, John Simpson, Ricardo Vasconcelos, Sunny Patel.

Biratnagar Kings

Biratnagar made headlines last season by signing New Zealand star Martin Guptill. This season, the team has drawn even more attention.

With Sandeep Lamichhane as their marquee player, Biratnagar signed South African superstar Faf du Plessis, creating huge excitement.

They retained Guptill and also signed South African fast bowler Marchant de Lange, Australian Sam Hain, American Shubham Ranjane, and Scotland’s George Munsey.

Nepali batters Lokesh Bam and Naren Bhatt have been retained, while Shankar Rana has been signed from the auction. All-rounders Basir Ahmed and Narayan Joshi are also in the team.

Biratnagar will play three foreign batters at the top: Guptill/Faf du Plessis, Munsey, and Hain.

Faf du Plessis will miss some early matches due to his involvement in the Abu Dhabi T10 League from November 18.

In bowling, Biratnagar has Sandeep Lamichhane, Suryata Tamang, Subash Bhandari, and Basir Ahmed for spin, while Pratish GC is the domestic pace option. Marchant de Lange has been signed to strengthen pace.

Biratnagar Squad: Sandeep Lamichhane, Lokesh Bam, Pratish GC, Basir Ahmed, Naren Bhatt, Subash Bhandari, Suryata Tamang, Sahil Patel, Narayan Joshi, Sarwan Kisku, Shankar Rana, Ayush Neupane, Faf du Plessis, George Munsey, Sam Hain, Martin Guptill, Marchant de Lange, Shubham Ranjane.

Pokhara Avengers

Although Pokhara Avengers had a strong team in the first season, they underperformed. For the second season, the franchise has rebranded everything from logo to overall branding.

Nepal national opener Kushal Bhurtel is their marquee player. Pokhara has retained seven players from last season.

They prioritized local players in the auction, signing young batter Arjun Kumal and Nepal U-19 players Sandeep Chhetri , Krishna Poudel, and Abhishek Tiwari.

Jimmy Neesham, who won the title with Janakpur last season, will play for Pokhara this season. Pokhara has also signed England’s Adam Rossington, Dan Douthwaite, Barbados’s Raymon Reifer, and England’s Jason Roy.

Kushal Bhurtel, Dinesh Kharel, and Rossington strengthen the top order, while young Arjun Kumal is a promising option.

In the middle order, Neesham will be supported by Tritt Raj Das and Kiran Thagunna and Abhishek Tiwari is another option.

Spin duties will be handled by Sagar Dhakal and Bipin Karki, while medium pacer Akash Chand leads the pace attack.

Pokhara Squad: Kushal Bhurtel, Dinesh Kharel, Sagar Dhakal, Akash Chand, Tritt Raj Das, Bipin Khatri, Kiran Thagunna, Arjun Kumal, Sandeep Chhetri , Krishna Paudel, Abhishek Tiwari, Adam Rossington, Raymon Reifer, Dan Douthwaite, Jimmy Neesham, Jason Roy.

Lumbini Lions

Under captain Rohit Paudel, Lumbini Lions aim to forget their disappointing first season and produce strong performances this year.

They have changed their logo, team colors, and head coach for the second season. They have also made major changes to their foreign players.

Along with captain Rohit, Lumbini retained Sandeep Jora, Bibek Yadav, Dinesh Adhikari, Abhishes Gautam, and Tilak Bhandari. Injured Vivek Yadav has been replaced by Sumit Maharjan.

They have signed medium pacer Durgesh Gupta, along with Dilip Nath, Sher Malla, Adil Khan, and Bishal Patel from the auction.

Lumbini has revamped its coaching staff by appointing India’s Robin Singh as mentor and Tinu Yohannan as head coach. Shakti Gauchan continues as consultant coach.

Their foreign signings include Australian opener D’Arcy Short, Afghanistan all-rounder Gulbadin Naib, Italy’s Thomas Draca, Namibia’s Ruben Trumpelmann, and Namibia all-rounder JJ Smit.

Lumbini Squad: Rohit Paudel, Sandeep Jora, Dinesh Adhikari, Abhishes Gautam, Tilak Bhandari, Sumit Maharjan, Durgesh Gupta, Dilip Nath, Sher Malla, Adil Khan, Bishal Patel, D’Arcy Short, Thomas Draca, Gulbadin Naib, Ruben Trumpelmann, JJ Smit.

All six floodlights at the TU International Cricket Ground in Kirtipur, Kathmandu, have been switched on for testing.

On Saturday, the lights of all six floodlight towers were turned on at the stadium for the first time. With all six lights, the TU ground looked bright and impressive.

The upcoming Nepal Premier League (NPL) cricket tournament appears fully ready to be played under floodlights. This is the first time a match is set to be played under floodlights at the TU Cricket Ground.

After Sandeep Lamichhane took 5 wickets, Nepal secured an exciting 5-run victory over Qatar in the Super Six stage of the ICC T20 World Cup Asia and East Asia-Pacific Qualifier.

Chasing Nepal’s target of 148 runs, Qatar was bowled out for 142 in 19.5 overs. Opener Imal Liyanage scored 55 runs off 35 balls, while Zubair Ali contributed 52 runs. Other batters could not make significant contributions, leading to their defeat.

For Nepal, Lamichhane took 5 wickets, Nandan Yadav claimed 2, and Dipendra Singh Airee took 1 wicket.

Nepal once again staged a brilliant comeback against Qatar, who had been in a comfortable position at one point. Airee’s run-out and Adil’s run-out were crucial in turning the game in Nepal’s favor.

Earlier, after losing the toss and batting first, Nepal scored 147 runs for the loss of 9 wickets in 20 overs, with captain Rohit Paudel scoring a half-century.

Captain Rohit made 58 runs off 41 balls, while Dipendra Singh Airee scored 26 runs off 21 balls. Gulshan Jha played a cameo of 16 runs off 8 balls.

For Qatar, captain Mirza Baig took 3 wickets for 29 runs in 4 overs, Daniel Lewis also took 3 wickets, and Muhammad Asim claimed 1 wicket.

Nepal had previously defeated the UAE in the Super Six stage on Sunday.

Nepal clinched a thrilling one-run victory over the UAE in the Super Six stage of the ICC T20 World Cup Asia and East Asia Pacific Qualifier.

Chasing a target of 141 runs set by Nepal, the UAE managed to score 139 runs for the loss of nine wickets in 20 overs. Despite a half-century from Alishan Sharafu, it wasn’t enough for his team to emerge victorious. He scored 58 runs, while Dhruv Parashar added 38 runs.

At one stage, the UAE was in a strong position at 82 for 1, but Nepal turned the game around by mounting pressure. When the UAE fell to 99 for 6, Parashar came to the crease and kept his team alive with some big shots.

In the final over, the UAE needed 10 runs. Facing Dipendra Singh Airee, Parashar hit a six off the first few balls but was caught out soon after. With 3 runs required from 2 balls, a run-out and a short run followed, leaving the UAE unable to add any more runs. They managed only one run off the final delivery, finishing just one run short of Nepal’s total.

For Nepal, Dipendra Singh Airee bowled brilliantly, taking 3 wickets for 22 runs in 4 overs. Sandeep Lamichhane, Sompal Kami, and Gulshan Jha each took one wicket.

Earlier, after winning the toss and choosing to bat first, Nepal made140 runs for 6 wickets in 20 overs, led by opener Aasif Sheikh’s half-century.

Aasif scored 51 runs off 47 balls. Likewise, Kushal Bhurtel contributed 28 runs, captain Rohit Paudel made 20, and Gulshan Jha added 14 runs off just 5 balls before being dismissed.

Although Nepal reached 73 for 1 in the first 10 overs, their scoring rate slowed in the second half of the innings, preventing them from doubling the total.

For the UAE, Junaid Siddique, Muhammad Rohid, Zahid Ali, Dhruv Parashar, Harshit Kaushik, and Haider Ali each claimed one wicket.

Nepal is all set to play against the UAE in its first Super Six match of the ICC T20 World Cup Asia and East Asia Pacific Qualifier.

Having faced relatively weaker teams in the group stage, Nepal will now take on its familiar rival, the UAE, in its first Super Six encounter. The match will start at 4:15 PM (Nepali local time), Sunday, at Oman Cricket Academy Turf 1.

Both Nepal and the UAE remained unbeaten in the group stage and have entered the Super Six with 2 points each.

The match between Nepal and the UAE is often labelled the “Associate Rivalry.” Their recent form and past results have made these two sides strong competitors.

Today’s match will also be one of the most important games. The winning team will gain a strong start in the Super Six.

Nepal’s captain Rohit Paudel said the UAE is a good team but will be treated as just another opponent.

“The UAE is one of the best teams in this tournament. If we play according to our basics and standards, we can win,” Paudel says. “The main thing is to focus on our strengths rather than who the opponent is.”

Meanwhile, UAE coach Lalchand Rajput said his team is ready to face strong teams like Nepal and Oman in the Super Six.

Recent form

Both teams are currently in good form. Before this qualifier, both played several international series and major tournaments.

Nepal recently made history by defeating the West Indies in a T20 series before the World Cup qualifier. Before that, Nepal had also traveled abroad for adequate preparation and practice matches.

Similarly, the UAE won a T20 series against Bangladesh and participated in the Asia Cup, gaining valuable match exposure.

In their last five T20I matches, Nepal has won four and lost one, while the UAE has won three and lost two.

Head-to-head

So far, Nepal and the UAE have played 10 T20I matches, with both teams winning five games each.

However, in matches played in Oman, the UAE has had the upper hand, winning all three encounters. This time, Nepal has the chance to change that record.

The last time they encountered was in the 2024 ACC Premier Cup in Oman, where the UAE defeated Nepal by six wickets. That loss ended Nepal’s hopes of qualifying for the Asia Cup.

In crucial matches, both sides have taken turns stunning each other. The UAE defeated Nepal in the 2022 T20 World Cup Qualifier to reach the World Cup, but in the 2023 qualifier, Nepal turned the tables and eliminated the UAE.

In the T20I rankings, the UAE is currently 16th, while Nepal is 18th.

Players to watch

For Nepal, Kushal Bhurtel and Gulshan Jha could be key performers. Lately, Bhurtel has been in fine batting form, and Nepal’s innings will depend heavily on his start against the UAE.

Jha, meanwhile, has also performed well against the UAE in the past. He has already played a crucial role in the first two matches of this qualifier, including scoring a quick 20 off 6 balls in the opening game.

For the UAE, captain Muhammad Waseem will be their main player. His opening batting often dictates the team’s entire innings. In bowling, Junaid Siddique will be their main weapon, as he is the UAE’s leading wicket-taker.

Toss and probable XI

This ground has seen both low-scoring and high-scoring matches. Japan successfully chased 178 runs against Kuwait, the only high-scoring match so far. Most other games have been of moderate totals.

Nepal defended 141 runs against Kuwait, bowling them out for 83, while Oman chased 93 runs against Qatar at a slow pace.

Captains may prefer to bat first and post a good total to defend.

Nepal is likely to play with an unchanged lineup, though Kushal Malla could be replaced due to his weak form.

Nepal probable XI

Kushal Bhurtel, Aasif Sheikh, Rohit Paudel, Kushal Malla/Lokesh Bam, Sundeep Jora, Dipendra Singh Airee, Gulshan Jha, Sompal Kami, Nandan Yadav, Sandeep Lamichhane, Lalit Rajbanshi

UAE probable XI:

Harshit Kaushik, Muhammad Waseem, Muhammad Arfan, Rahul Chopra, Basil Hameed, Alishan Sharafu, Haider Ali, Dhruv Parashar, Junaid Siddique, Simarjeet Singh, Muhammad Rohid

Nepal’s Super Six Fixtures

• Nepal vs UAE –October 12 (4:15 PM)
• Nepal vs Qatar – Ashoj 13 (8:45 AM)
• Nepal vs Samoa – October 15 (8:45 AM)
• Nepal vs Oman – October 17 (4:15 PM)

All times are in Nepal local time. 

Six members of the National Women’s Cricket Team will be participating in the MCA Women’s T20 Inter-State Championship, scheduled to take place in Kuala Lumpur. The championship is being organised by the Malaysian Cricket Association from October 17 to 27.

Sita Rana Magar, Kabitra Joshi, Rajmati Airee, Rubina Chhetri, Puja Mahato, and Kabita Kunwar will be attending the event, said Cricket Association of Nepal (CAN) Spokesperson Chhumbi Lama.

Prior to this, the Nepali Women’s Cricket Team had played in the Super Women Series held in Malaysia. During the series, Nepal played five T20 matches against the host and won the series 3-2